Clash of Arms
by aria28
Summary: The clash of arms was drawing near, and the echoing beating of her heart told her that this day would somehow seal her fate....040307: Chapter 1 up!IN PROGRESS. Long story with Obidala undercurrent. Rating will change later on
1. Prologue

**Title**: Clash of Arms

**Type**: Drama/Romance

**Summary**: Definitely AU.

"The clash of arms was drawing near, and the echoing beating of her heart told her that this day would somehow seal her fate"

**Rating**: M in later chapters for some violence and graphic sex

**Disclaimer**: Last I checked, the Star Wars universe and all its characters didn't belong to me snif

**Thanks**: Everyone at Obi-wan Oasis (see link in my profile), in particular Ticklesivory for her constant support, helping me with a few mistakes here and there (all mistakes left in this are entirely mine - feel free to let me know if you spot them), and just generally for writing awesomeness, in particular her ongoing fic (In Pursuit of Being) which is quite outstanding in terms of storyline and quality and is really a must read

**Note 1**: Warning: this is Obidala, although not of the fluffy-lovey-dovey kind (I love reading those, btw, it's just that I can't write them), so here's hoping even some of the non-Obidala fans will enjoy reading it. Plenty of pathos in the way anyway. It's also AU, although it follows roughly the timeline of Episode I at the beginning. All of the main characters of Episodes I-II will play a significant role, although the story will focus on Padmé and Obi-wan's POVs

**Note 2**: I hope you'll all forgive me for what I do with Obi-Wan in this one, although I want to believe he'll be in character. The idea came while reading Ticklesivory's "_Heart of Darkness_". Also, I was compelled to write about Padmé, because what was done to her character in RotS was just unacceptable

* * *

**Prologue**

The broad avenue bordering the western wall of the Theed Palace was unusually quiet. In this moment, from where she stood in an alcove, alone in the reception room of her personal quarters, basking in the warm light of an early Nubian afternoon, it was the only indication that something was wrong.

But the Queen knew that this false pretence of peace wouldn't last long. Soon it would be shattered by metallic feet thumping against the marble floor of the Great Hall, getting louder as they would progress towards her quarters

And there was nothing she could do about it

She let out a deep sigh, and the moisture of her breath collected mere inches from her lips, tiny drops of water momentarily blurring her view of the outside world. She deliberately raised her hand and slowly, delicately, applied it against the wetted glass, her fingers splayed. She closed her eyes and her forehead dropped until it came into contact with the surface, remarkably cool even though the rays of the sun had been piercing it for a good two hours now

It was something she would often do, leaving her handprints, or even the shape of her pursed lips, on mist-covered windows. Back when the home of her father resonated with hers and her sister Sola's laugh. She almost smiled despite her turmoil at the memory, and forced her eyes open. Had she listened to her father's arguments and to her mother's pleas, she wouldn't be standing here now, her shoulders slumped under the weight of her responsibilities for the first time. It had been four years since she had been elected, the third into her reign - but Naboo was a peaceful planet. The only source of unrest was the occasional miners' strike, and never had it posed much of a threat. From a very young age, she had known that her future lay somewhere in politics, and she had begun devouring holobooks on the subject, sneaking past bedtime in the study of her father to watch the news through the holonet, all at the great despair of her mother who would never miss an occasion to voice her concerns about her youngest daughter who would rather discuss diplomatic treaties sitting on her father's knees than playing in the gardens with her agemates. But the gleam of pride was unmistakable in her eyes when Padmé Naberrie became the youngest elected princess of Theed

Suddenly, the song of a lone crecella bird that must have been close by echoed in the deserted streets, bringing her out of her musings, and she thought offhandedly that never had she heard its beautiful voice with such a clarity before. She intently listened to it for a while, until the singing stopped. From the corner of her eye she caught a dark form surging upwards and turned in that direction to watch the brown fowl soring towards the skies. Her eyes followed its course until its shadow disolved into the infinite blue of the heavenly seas. Only rare clouds and migrating birds were breaking its monotony. Dera trees were in bloom, the pink buds heralding the warmer season. All the characteristics of a normal late spring day on Naboo

Nature, it seemed, was undisturbed by people's conflicts and, for a moment, she wished that she too could partake in that serenity, that she too could find refuge away from her worries in the depths of the cerulean sky

A soft knock at her door was heard and she tore her eyes away from the soothing firmament to see the door open and her first handmaiden Sabé surrepticiously entered. This is when she first heard it, a mere clink dampend by the distance, before being drown by the other young woman's voice "Your Highness. It's time." A nod from her queen and she exited as quietly as she came in, closing the heavy wooden panel behind her.

Walking away from the window, Queen Amidala stepped into the shadows and headed for her bedroom. There, on the large canopy bed, was a single garnment, an orange dress identical to the one her handmaiden had been wearing. For a while she didn't move, her gaze fixed on the shimmering fabric: this had been the first protocol she had learned after her enthroning, and she and Sabé, whom she had quickly befriended, hadn't been above acting it, enjoying the confused expressions on Governor Bibble's or Captain Panaka's faces

Never before had its presence in her bedchamber been justified by any peril. It has always been a game, one of the rare distractions she allowed herself from her duties. Now its bright color was like a warning signal of the danger closing in

A small hand was laid on her shoulder and she covered it with her own, thanking wordlessly her other handmaiden, Yané, for her support, before being lead to the dressing table. The younger woman skillfully undid the complicated hair arrangement before proceeding with the removal of the heavy makeup on the hands and face

Queen Amidala watched herself in the mirror as she was becoming Padmé once more. Unmistakable sounds of battle began to reach her ears, seemingly coming from the vast halls in the lower levels of the palace. It would be quick now: she had ordered her personal guard to lay down their weapons as soon as the room where they stood was clearly overrun. She had first bid them not to offer any resistence in the hope of avoiding any loss, but they had steadily refused, Captain Panaka explaining that the humiliation of the defeat at the hands of the invaders would be hard enough to live down, but that going down without putting a fight would be simply unbearable. She had acquiesced, not able to refuse them their honor when she found herself unable to protect their lifestyle

Padmé stood and the orange hood of her gown was drawn upon her head, before she walked side by side with Yané, heading back to the reception room. There was the queen, sitting on her throne, two handmaidens on one side, Governor Bibble and Captain Panaka standing on the other. She took her assigned place on the left of the Naboo leader hurriedly, fear finally catching up with her

The clash of arms was drawing near, and the echoing beating of her heart told her that this day would somehow seal her fate


	2. Chapter 1

This is the first real chapter. I still don't own anything. And this chapter is still well within the PG-13 boundaries ;-) And please, R&R, thanks!

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**Chapter 1**

The communication device was switched off, and he turned his eyes to the darkness that had enshrouded all outside a few hours ago

There was something comforting to be found about the night, a sense of unity brought by the obscure veil covering everything equally in the last hours of a day and the wee hours of the next. There was never a better time for him to meditate, and meditating was exactly what he intended to do as soon as he'll be back in the room that had been assigned to him. But before, he decided he would review one last time the events of the day

He had had mixed emotions when it was decided that they would invade Naboo. He didn't question the wish of his Lord to have Naboo become an integrant part of the Trade Federation alliance - the mines wrought on its moons, as well as the plasma facilities in the very heart of Theed had become, thanks to the commercial treaty signed with King Veruna years ago, an important source of revenues for the Trade Federation and, when the time would come and the war would begin, to hold their own sources of raw material would be an asset of paramount importance

However, a part of him had hoped that the blockade would have been enough to convince the young queen to sign the treaty and therefore make a physical invasion of Naboo useless: not only was an open conflict likely to draw the attention of the Republic and complicate things, creating an unlikely, but not negligeable, risk of intervention, but there would be casualties, and he was at loathe to see people die, on both sides, especially when it was obvious to all that the Naboo did not have the necessary military resources to stall the invasion

Yet at the same time, he figured that, had he been part of the Nabooan leadership, he too would have opposed the signature of the treaty and prefered to risk an invasion, even though the outcome was known. Their civilization and culture were ancient, and never had they lived under a military or commercial yoke in all of their long history. That they shall be proud of their independance despite the relatively small size of their system and their reluctance to use armed force was understandable, and he couldn't help but respect their decision

It was therefore with a clear mind but a heavy heart that he had stepped for the first time on Naboo, just outside Theed where the ship of Viceroy Nute Gunray had landed. As he walked before the Viceroy and his chief Lieutenant, progressing once the droid army he commanded had secured a new area, he couldn't help but look around him in awe, both at what he saw and at what he could feel through the Force. Theed wasn't as big as many of the planets' capitals he had visited, nor could it compare in modernity with the likes of Coruscant. But the architecture, the materials used for the very pavement on which they were threading, the luscious gardens, the numerous fountains that graced every square, with their delicately sculptures which, he supposed, represented scenes of the Nabooan mythology, everything spoke of wealth and a craft perfectioned with time, but neither impressed him nearly as much as the symbiosis revealed between man and nature, one of the most intense he had ever encountered during his numerous travels, even in the Unknown Regions. The Force surrounded him with a rare strength and one look behind him, beyond the walls of the city told him that it would only be more ominous in the lush forests he could catch a glimpse of

This is when he thought he felt it. It wasn't so much of a tug, more like the ghost of one. A murmur in the Force, that beckoned to him, as if it was trying to draw him towards the greens and browns of the wilderness. But that was impossible: in all his life, the Force has always led him to do his Lord's wish. He shaked his head, and the murmur was quenched, his focus now once more on the Theed palace: two mores areas to clear, and they would reach their goa

* * *

Their progression through the maze of majestuous halls and stairs was fairly easy, and the battles against the guards short as they would drop their weapons when the advantage was clearly taken by his army. Obviously, they had received their orders, and he was thankful for that - not that he would have shied away from battle or hold back his punches, but if they were to take over the planet, its inhabitants were much likely to submit and ultimately accept the domination of the Trade Federation if the blood of their sons, fathers or brothers wasn't spilled. A revolt would not only reduce the productivity of the mines, but would also occupy a part of their armed force which could otherwise be used to secure other corners of the galaxy 

As they arrived in front of the heavy double doors that seperated them from the Queen's quarters, he noted the smug expressions of the Viceroy and his closest assistant. They believed that it was the impression made by their army that had driven the population to hide and the guards to surrender, but he knew better. They were picking their battles, and once again his respect towards the Naboo and their leaders increased one notch

He gestured to four of his droids officers to open the doors. They hissed on their hinges, revealing the leadership of Naboo assembled behind them

* * *

He couldn't help the smirk from spreading on his face as he relived in details the negotiations with the queen and the crestfallen expressions on the Neimoidians' faces when she once again flat out refused to sign the treaty. He understood the relevance of his Lord's alliance with the Trade Federation, but that didn't mean that he had to like them 

The initial discussions lasted four hours, until the queen drily informed them that it was getting late and that she wasn't disposed to resume them until the morning, effectively dismissing them, as if her planet hadn't just been invaded by a military force she couldn't defeat on her own. Not that it had actually been the queen. Lord Sidious had made sure he was throughly briefed before departing for Naboo, and he was aware of the security protocol that substituted the queen for one of her handmaidens, specifically selected for their likeliness with the Nabooan leader, when her safety was threatened. He had to admit that he hadn't been sure which handmaiden had been the queen in disguise until, at one point, he spotted from the corner of his eye the hard glare of defiance the one seated third from the Queen's side sent to the Viceroy when he ironised about the well-being of her people

He hadn't felt enclined to reveal the subterfuge to Nute Gunray though, as it didn't matter anyway, as long as it was the real queen who signed the treaty in the end. So he had stood wordlessly behind the Neimioidians leaders until the negotiations were cut short, at which point he had stepped forward to inform the assembly of the security measures that would be taken for the time being. Once more brown eyes were raised, expressing barely-suppressed fury, probably at being held prisonner in her own palace, but this time her glare was directed straight at him.

He hadn't looked back at her though, keeping his own blue stare on the posing queen, bowed and followed the Trade Federation leaders to the communications room where they reported to Lord Sidious before leaving the room to rest for the night, at which point he had made his own complete report to his Lord, who once again reiterated his trust in his most faithful right-hand servant and allowed him to take whatever initiatives he saw fit, even if they went against the orders of the Viceroy Gunray, to secure the treaty

Tearing his eyes away from the darkness, he rose, exited the communication room and walked towards the room he had taken for himself, a small guestroom that could have seemed improper for the leader of a powerful army and in fact, Rune Haako himself proposed that he'd take one of the more spacious ones on the same level himself and the Viceroy would reside. But he had politely declined, arguing that as a soldier he was unaccustomed to luxury, and that he would sooner find sleep in one of the simpler rooms

But to tell the truth, what he wanted above all was to distance himself as much as possible from them

As he made his way through the western hall, all the while checking on the droids that had been assigned to this part of the palace, he quickly went through the dispositions he had made, and those that will have to be taken in the next few days. Many prisoners had been made and were in that very moment being dispatched to the various mines and industrial plants where they would begin forced labor. He would have prefered to attempt negotiating with the Naboo longer but he feared they wouldn't have much time

During their report, the Viceroy had assured Lord Sidious that the two Jedi that had been sent by Chancellor Valorum to proceed with the negotiations between the Trade Federation and Naboo at the request of the latter had been "disposed with". He wasn't sure if his Lord had felt it in the distance, but he could clearly tell he had been lying. However, the incident had taken place before he had boarded their ship, and his Force scans had revealed no sign of the Jedi

That didn't mean they hadn't managed to escape though: if anything, the Jedi were quite resourceful and, he knew, hard to kill. Somehow, he doubted the ability of the Viceroy to do just that

He finally reached his room. One look at the chronometer told him that it was already past 3 standard hours; he would have to forgo meditation for tonight if he was to wake up early enough to set in motion everything. He sighed and, without switching on any light, prepared to go to bed

Indeed he would have a lot to do tomorrow, including organizing a visit of one of the plants as soon as possible for the queen. Hopefully, being witness to her people's condition would be enough to prompt her to sign. He'll also have to send patrols all around Theed

If for some reason the Jedi showed up, he had little doubt that his Lord would send his apprentice. He knew that Sidious trusted him, even to defeat such powerful opponents, but he had been looking for an such an occasion to test his apprentice for a while now. If that happened, there was no telling to what lengths Darth Maul would be willing to go to subject the planet and its inhabitants, and while he could easily get away with overruling the Neimoidians, it would prove far more tricky to go against the will of his Lord's chosen apprentice

Remembering the extraordinary presence of the Force he had felt in the streets of Theed, Obi-Wan Kenobi's last conscious thought was that he would do anything he could to prevent it from being squashed by the destruction his Lord's apprentice was sure to bring if he ever set foot on Naboo


End file.
